Summer and Tailgating DIY Projects Roundup

If you live in the Southeastern United States as I do, you’ve probably been enjoying a summer of grilling out and going to the beach or lake. You’re also may be getting ready to enjoy football tailgating season, especially if you attend or live near a college town. Here’s a couple of DIY items that should be welcome at any outdoor event you choose to attend.

How to Make a Cornhole Board:

Although there are no LEDs or an Arduino on this one (we’d love to see your pimped boards in the comments), these instructions should work well for making your basic cornhole set. Of course you can always add some folding legs to it, but they fit together pretty well as is. As for the paint, there are many ways to do this, but check out the pic after the break to see the laser-cut stencil that the Tiger Paw in the first picture was made from. Thanks [Essam]!

PVC Ladder Toss Set:

These instructions should tell you all you need to make your own ladder toss (or whatever less-PC name you decide call it). As for the golf ball “bolas,” you’ll have to figure out how to put a hole in the middle of them. This technique (as seen in a links post earlier) should cover it, but best to be careful that you’re not plunging into a liquid-core ball. Eye protection is recommended.

LED Glow Cubes:

Although not a traditional tailgate item, these glowing solar LED cubes could serve as an alternative to the normal LED path lights. What’s in these instructions is how to simply take the parts source, a solar path light, apart and insert it into a translucent cube. We could see this made with several different colored LEDs and an Arduino for some other cool effects. A logo of your favorite team could be added with a laser cutter or CNC router for tailgate use.

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25 thoughts on “Summer and Tailgating DIY Projects Roundup”

Divided by a common language! As a Brit, I have no idea what you mean be tailgating (though I thought it was driving too close to the guy in front) or corn holing (and I thought that was NSFW). Having trawled the links, I’m not really any better informed

It means to gather around each other’s tailgates (the part on the back of a pick-up that folds down: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailgate) and hang out, BBQ, etc. It’s apparently a popular thing to do in the parking lot of football stadiums before the doors open.

I personally clicked the link hoping for a way to deal with tailgaters (I’ve noticed them getting much worse in my area lately).

And while gathering around each other’s tailgates, backyard BBQs, etc. We Yanks somehow like to play an exciting game of “Corn Hole” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornhole, probably known to the rest of the world as simply “bean bag toss”). Not sure why exactly except that it’s a game that can be played while keeping one hand free to hold your favorite summertime beverage!

I didn’t get any of this !
It would have been the same for me if you have talked about some traditions in an obscure african tribe.
Remember, your audience comes from all over the world.
Take 5 minutes and enlighten us :)

Cornhole is a recently popular game. Even here in the midwest, (Northeast Ohio), a lot of people don’t know what it is. Cornhole is too big and heavy for actual tailgating, bolo golf (PVC game above) is much more portable and fun.

We go to the Columbus Crew Soccer (Football) games, arrive at the stadium, setup a canopy, a grill for food, tables and some games and hang out for a few hours before the game starts. Mostly because food and alcohol inside the stadium is expensive and hanging out is fun. I am sure other countries have a similar process.

well, i live in the southeastern US and IN a college town…and i didn’t know what cornholing was or the ladder toss game! LOL

i have to say these things must be fairly new traditions (i’m getting old)…and i feel fairly sure that ‘cornholing’ originated in the midwest (or at least the term did). i’m guessing that the term comes from the ‘old days’ where people picked the ears of corn and threw them into something with a small hole. historically, the south is not known for growing a lot of corn, but things are always changing.

LoL…when I saw a “corn holing” board, I had to wonder…why would you need a board to do that? haven’t cops been doing that to drunks for decades without the need of a board? Is this like a glory hole? Then I read the article, and realized that some drunk somewhere decided to call the bean-bag toss corn-holing, and it somehow caught on.

south eastern united states near a college town orange and blue paws you live near auburn alabama right. if so i invite you to the east alabama linux user group first wednesday of every month at the east alabama medical center meeting center (across the street form the hospital used to be a joe’s restaurant)